Preformed necktie



Aug 18, 1953 A. J. TI'EONE I PREFORMED NECKTIE Filed April 20, 1951 INVENTOR. ANTHONY J- Twoue Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in preformed four-in-hand ties and proposes certain improvements set forth in my prior application Serial No. 161,160, filed May 10, 1950, now Patent No. 2,596,739, dated May 13, 1952.

In that prior application, there is illustrated a preformed four-in-hand tie having a knot member of solid construction with a groove in the rear face thereof and within which hooks are suitably mounted to have the top end of a fabric tie member releasably connected to the knot member together with the ends of a neckband so that the knot member can be worn with different fabric tie members.

The present invention proposes an improvement in the construction of the four-in-hand tie in which the knot member has formed within its slot an integral hook to which the top end of the tie member can be releasably connected as well as laterally aligned lugs to which the ends of the neckband can be releasably connected.

Another object of the present invention proposes an improved connector member for attachment to the top end of the fabric tie member and which has an elongated vertically extended hole for engagement with the hook in a manner to quickly and easily connect the tie member to the knot member and to hold the connector member against any possible pivotal movement.

A further object of the present invention proposes forming the connector member with an undercut face at its bottom portion to which the fabric t-ie member is secured so that the front faces of the connector member and the tie member will be flush in a manner to have the front face of the tie member in intimate contact with the wall of the knot member at the front of the slot to extend from the bottom of the knot member to appear as an intimate continuation of the knot member.

Still another object of the present invention proposes connecting the ends of the neckband to the knot member in such a manner so that when the tie is worn, the knot member will be held in the desired downwardly and forwardly inclined position so essential to well grooming.

It is a further object of the present invention to construct a preformed four-in-hand tie which is simple and durable and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a preformed four-in-hand tie constructed in accordance with the present invention, but with the bottom of the front portion, shown in dot and dash lines in its normal position, folded back to reveal the rear portion of the fabric tie member.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear elevational view of Fig. l, but with the neckband removed.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 with an end portion of the neckband added.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the knot member, per se, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view showing the first step in the attachment of the top portion of the fabric tie member to the connector member.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the top portion of the tie member upon completion of the attachment of the connector member.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the connector member, per se.

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of the neckband, per se.

The preformed four-in-hand tie, according to the present invention, is comprised of three separate partsa solid knot member 80, a fabric tie member II and a neckband 12.

The knot member If! is formed with a solid body substantially triangular-shape in elevation and oval shape in cross section, as shown in Fig. 4, and the body has a groove or slot M extended in from its rear face and which opens to the top and bottom ends of the knot member, see Figs. 2 to 4. The material of the knot member in at the front of the groove M is formed with an integral vertically elongated hook it and the material of the knot member 16 at the sides of the groove l4 is formed with a pair of laterally aligned lugs I6. Each of the lugs I6 is formed with an aperture l l. The knot member I0, together with the hook l5 and the lugs It is cut from a piece of decorative hardwood such as mahogany or rosewood with the front face thereof being highly polished and otherwise finished. The wood used for forming the knot member can be left in its natural color or the color thereof can be changed by bleaching or by the applications of suitable lacquers, stains or the like all as generally known in the art of finishing woods. On the other hand, if desired, the knot member 50 can be molded of 3 one of the resinous plastic materials; such as Vinylite (copolymer of vinyl acetate and vinyl chloride) or polystyrene (polymer of styrene, usually prepared from ethylene and benzene), which has been suitably colored to be opaque.

The fabric tie member II consists of a front wide portion I I- and a separate rear narrow portion I I all as generally known in the art of fourin-hand ties. The tie member II can be formed of any of the fabrics commonly used for making neckties which fabrics may be of solid colors or figured patterns. The non-conventional formation of the tie will be least noticed if the tie portions II and II are formed of cloth material solidly colored to blend with the color of the knot member I0.

Attached to the top of the tie member N, there is a connector member or bar I8 which is formed of an elongated piece of wood, resinous plastic material, metal or similar materials. The top end of the connector member I8 is formed with an elongated hole or slot I9 of a sufficient length to permit the top end of the connector member to be engaged over the elongated hook I5 for releasably attaching the tie member I I to the knot member. To permit engagement of the connector member I8 with the hook I5, the top end of the connector I8 is passed upward into the groove I4 from the open bottom end thereof, after which the hook I5 is passed through the hole It and the tie member 11 is pulled down slightly to position the connector member with relation to the hook I5, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The connector member I8, at its bottom end, has a cut away front face 20, see particularly Fig. '7, formin a shoulder 2I at the top end of the cut away or offset portion. The cut away reduces the thickness of the bottom portion of the connector member I8 and that reduced bottom portion is formed with an elongated slot 22. T attach the connector member I8 to the tie member II the separate tie portions I I and I I are superimposed, as shown in Fig. with the rear narrow portion I I b uppermost.

I The top ends of the tie portions II and H are flush and the connector member is rested on the narrow rear portion II with the shoulder 2| a'butted against the flush portions. The vertical side edge portions of the rear portion I I of the tie member are then folded about the connector member I8 and secured thereto by stitches, not shown, that pass through the slot 22 to fix the rear portion II and the connector I8 against possible relative movement.

Finally, the vertical side portions of the front portion I l of the tie member I I are folded about the top 'end of the rear portion II and secured in position by stitches 23, see Fig. 2. The stitches 23 only pass through the rear portion l I to the rear of the connector member I8 so that no stitches Will be visible from the front of the tie member II, 'as shown in Fig. 6.

The cut away front face 20 of the connector member I8 is only cut away to a depth sufficient to receive the combined thickness of the front portion II and II of the tie member II so that the front portion of the tie member will be flush with the front face of the top portion of the connector member I8, as'most clearly shown in Fig. 3. With that flush arrangement the front of the connector member I8 and the front of tie member II will be in flush contact with the wall of the knot member ID defining the front of the.

groove It, so that the tie member I I will appear 4 to extend from the bottom of the knot member ID as an intimate continuation thereof, see Figs. 1 and 3.

The neckband I2 is formed of an elongated strip of cloth material which may be elastic or nonelastic, as desired. However, it is preferred to form the neckband I2 from a strip of elastic material which stretches in the length only. Positioned at the ends of the neckband I2, there are elongated flattened loops 2t and 2 5. The one end of the neckband i2 is passed through the respective loop 2% and doubled upon itself and secured in position by stitches 26. The other end of the neckband I2 is passed through the other loop 25 and connected to an adjustment member 2! so as to be slidable along the length of the neckband 42 to adjust the length of the neckband to fit necks of diiferent diameters. Each of the loops 2'5 and 2-5 has secured thereto a ring-like member 28 having an open side closed by a slidably mounted arcuate portion 29 which is resil- 'iently urged to a closed position to form a clasp of a type generally known and commonly used on the end of watch chains for use with pocket watches and similar articles.

Extending from the side of each ring-like member there is an actuator 39, by which the respective arcuate portion '29 can be drawn into the ring-like member to open the open side of the ring-like me er- 23. In the open position, the open sides of ring-like members 28 can be slipped into position over one 'of the lugs I6 so that when the arcuate portions 29 are released they will pass through the apertures ll of the lugs, see Fig. to again close the open sides of those ring-like members 28 and mount the ends of the neckband it? in position on the lugs I6.

The ring-like members 28 are secured to the loops 2c and at points above the longitudinal center of the neckband I2 by soldering, welding or the like, as indicated, by the added material 3| in Figs. 3 and 8. The relationship of the ringlike members 228 to the loops "2% and '25 is such that when the ring-like membersZB are connected to the lugs It, the ends 32 of the ring-like members 28, nearest the longitudinal center of the neckband I2, will be inclined and function as stop members and have the adjacent sides of the lugs it abutted thereagainst, as shown in Fig. 3, to hold the knot member In in a downwardly and forwardly inclined position. To accomplish that, the apertures I! in the lugs I6 must, of course, be of a size to pass only the arc'uate portions 29 of the ring-like members 28. 'Thus, the attachment means for the neckband I2 functions to lift the knot member it away from the collar of the shirt and hold in the desired downwardly and forwardly inclined position which is so essential to good grooming.

ihe elastic nature of the neckband I2 permits the knot member It to be pulled, away from the collar of the shirt for engaging and disengaging at least one of the ring-like members 28 with its respective lug It for mounting the four inehand tie in position on the collar of the shirt. If desired, the neckband could be formed of end aligned sections having their adjacent ends connected together by an openable clasp so that the tie can be mounted in position without having to touch the attachment of the ends of the neckband I2 to the knot member It. The latter arrangement of the neckband I2 is particularly important in the case of neckbands which are formed of non-elastic materials.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A preformed four-in-hand necktie comprising a knot member having a slot in the rear face thereof which opens to the top and bottom ends thereof, a hook integral with said knot member Within said slot, a fabric tie member, a connector member secured to the top of said tie member to be inserted into said slot from the bottom thereof, said connector member having a hole in the top end thereof for engagement with said hook releasably connecting said tie member to said knot member, laterally aligned lugs integral with the material of said knot member on opposite sides of said slot, a neckband, and means releasably securing the ends of said neckband to said lugs so as to hold said knot member in a downwardly and forwardly inclined position when the tie is worn, each of said lugs having an aperture, said releasably securing means comprising a loop on each end of said neckband, a ring-like member having an open side mounted on each of said loops with its open side facing away from the adjacent end of the neckband to be slipped into position over one of the lugs, and a slidably mounted resiliently urged arcuate portion for closing the open side of each of said ring-like members and for being passed through the aperture of the respective lug, the apertures of said lugs being of a size adapted to receive the resiliently urged arcuate portions of said ringlike members but too small to receive the ringcured to said loops at points above the longitudinal center of the neckband and with the ends of the ring-like members adjacent the longitudinal center of the neckband positioned to function as stop members against which the rear faces of the lugs can abut for holding the knot member in the downwardly and forwardly inclined position.

2. A preformed four-in-hand necktie comprising a body substantially triangular-shaped in elevation and oval shaped in cross section, said body being wide at the top with downwardly converging sides and having a lower end parallel to the top, said body having a vertically disposed slot which opens to the top and bottom ends thereof extended inwardly from the rear surface and having an upwardly extended hook secured to said body positioned within the upper part of said slot, an elongated bar with elongated slots in the end portions in the slot of said body and positioned with the slot in one of said ends over the hook of the body, said bar having an offset intermediate section with the face of one end in a plane spaced from and parallel to a plane in which the face of the opposite end is positioned, and a fabric tie member secured to and dependingfrom said bar.

ANTHONY J. TITONE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,049,161 Haas July 28, 1936 2,142,322 Martin Jan. 3, 1939 2,170,707 Chapel Aug. 22, 1939 2,440,880 Taborski May 4, 1948 2,453,733 Taborski Nov. 16, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 317,697 Germany Dec. 29, 1919 

